Remembering Patrick Nutor
by Patrick Awuah
Patrick Nutor and I became close friends during our last two years at Achimota. He was the strongest math student in my class, and I sought his help as we prepared for the A-levels – the most important exam of our lives. So it is, that we bonded over that beautiful subject: mathematics.
When we went to college in the United States, we planned to return home to Ghana to build a computer manufacturing company together. We were both enthusiasts of electronics and the microcomputer revolution, and we looked forward to working together in this field. But after college, our paths diverged. He signed on at Schlumberger, working in oilfields and on oil rigs across Africa; I went to work at Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, Washington. Unlike me, Patrick set a firm deadline for his return to Ghana. I was amazed when I visited Ghana in the early 1990s to find him running his business at a time when phones mostly did not work, and electric power was unstable. I marveled at how unfazed he was about the challenges of doing business in Ghana. He was always optimistic. Always cool under pressure.
Patrick Nutor was one of the first people I invited to serve on the founding Board of Trustees of Ashesi University Foundation and the Board of Directors of Ashesi University. I trusted him absolutely, and I relied on his counsel as I took steps to return to Ghana. He did not hesitate to accept my invitation, and he remained a member of both boards until his death. In the words of Ruth Warren, a Trustee of Ashesi University Foundation, “Patrick Nutor’s passing leaves a hole in the world, and of course, on both Ashesi boards. He was a great guy: insightful and warm, full of great humor but also doggedly persistent when warranted. He connected us, as American board members to the Ghanaian context; he was a bridge between pragmatic realism and Ashesi’s finest dreams.” Ashesi Co-founder, Nina Marini describes him as “a constant, supporting presence for Ashesi and such a wonderful person.” He truly was a constant supporting presence.
After my family and I relocated to Ghana in 2003, our two families became very close. To my wife Rebecca and I, he was a dear friend; and to my kids, he was a beloved and trusted uncle. Our most cherished family memories are with Patrick, Lynda and the kids: trips in the Central Region and the Volta Region; barbeques and Thanksgiving dinners; birthday celebrations and New Year’s Eve countdowns. Patrick was adventurous and undaunted by a few bad roads; he wanted us to experience Ghana’s natural beauty, rich culture, and delicious food.
Patrick was an exceptionally generous friend. He went out of his way on so many occasions to lend me, or Ashesi, or my family a hand or give advice. But mostly, he was that rare person with whom I could just kick back and shoot the breeze, watch a game of football, or simply doze off on his couch.
I will miss him dearly. What a precious thing friendship is.
